Bowl monitoring system

ABSTRACT

A monitoring system for a machine having a bowl is provided. The monitoring system includes a perception sensor provided in association with the bowl of the machine. The perception sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of a view of the bowl. The monitoring system also includes a controller coupled to the perception sensor. The controller is configured to receive the signal indicative of the view of the howl from the perception sensor. The controller is configured to determine a level of material within the bowl based on the received signal. The controller is configured to determine a current loading status of the bowl based on the determined level of the material. The controller is also configured to provide an indication of the current loading status.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a monitoring system. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to the monitoring system for a bowl of a machine.

BACKGROUND

Machines such as, a wheel tractor scraper, may require continuous monitoring of a bowl thereof during a work cycle. As such, the bowl may need to be visually monitored in order to determine a level of material in the bowl during a loading process so that, for example, the loading process may be stopped when the bowl is full. However, visually monitoring the bowl may pose a challenge to an operator due to significant occlusions caused by machine parts between an operator cabin and the bowl.

Continuous monitoring of the bowl may also cause ergonomic problems for the operator as the operator may have to frequently turnaround from a driving position to view the bowl. Also, it may be difficult to accurately end the loading process when the bowl is full due to poor visibility of the bowl in turn leading to reduced machine productivity/efficiency, reduced fuel efficiency, and so on.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,229,631 describes a method for enhancing productivity for an excavating machine. The method includes determining at least one cycle characteristic for an operating cycle of the excavating machine. The method also includes measuring payload accumulated by the machine during a loading phase of an operating cycle of the excavating machine. The method further includes controlling payload accumulated by the machine based on at least one of the payload and the at least one determined cycle characteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In an aspect of the present disclosure, a monitoring system for a machine is provided. The machine includes a bowl. The monitoring system includes a perception sensor provided in association with the bowl of the machine. The perception sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of a view of the bowl. The monitoring system also includes a controller coupled to the perception sensor. The controller is configured to receive the signal indicative of the view of the howl from the perception sensor. The controller is configured to determine a level of material within the bowl based on the received signal. The controller is also configured to determine a current loading status of the bowl based on the determined level of the material. The controller is further configured to provide an indication of the current loading status.

Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary machine, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the machine of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a monitoring system of the machine, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of working of the monitoring, system of FIG. 3, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or the like parts. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exemplary machine 10 is illustrated. More specifically, the machine 10 is a wheel tractor scraper. The machine 10 performs activities such as excavation, transportation of material from one location to another, and so on. In other embodiments, the machine 10 may be any other machine such as an articulated truck, an off-highway truck, an on-highway truck, a loader, an excavator, a shovel, and so on. The machine 10 may be any machine related to an industry such as construction, agriculture, transportation, mining, material handling, waste management, and so on.

The machine 10 includes a frame 12. The frame 12 supports one or more components of the machine 10, The machine 10 includes an enclosure 14 provided on the frame 12, The enclosure 14 houses a power source (not shown) provided on the frame 12. The power source may be any power source known in the art such as an internal combustion engine, batteries, motor, and so on. The power source may provide power to the machine 10 for mobility and operational requirements.

The machine 10 includes an operator cabin 16 provided on the frame 12. The operator cabin 16 may include various components and/or controls provided therein. The operator cabin 16 may include a seat, a steering, levers, pedals, a joystick, switches, knobs, an operator interface, gauges, a display unit, an audio unit, and so on, The controls may be adapted to control an operation of the machine 10.

The machine 10 also includes a set of wheels 18 coupled to the frame 12. The wheels 18 support the machine 10 on ground. The wheels 18 also provide mobility to the machine 10 on the ground. Also, the machine 10 may include a transmission system (not shown) coupled between the power source and the wheels 18. The transmission system may include various components such as a clutch, gears, bearings, shafts, axles, and so on. The transmission system may transfer motive power from the power source to the wheels 18.

The machine 10 further includes a bowl 20 provided on the frame 12. The bowl 20 receives the material therein for transportation from one location to another. The bowl 20 includes an apron 22. The apron 22 moves between an open position “0” and a closed position “C”, represented by appropriately labeled arrows in the accompanying figures. When the apron 22 is in the open position “0”, the apron 22 allows entry of the material into the bowl 20. When the apron 22 is in the closed position “C”, the apron 22 prevents exit of the material received into the bowl 20 and also prevent further entry of new material into the bowl 20.

Additionally or optionally, the bowl 20 may include an ejector 24. The ejector 24 moves between a retracted position “R” and an extended position “E”, represented by appropriately labeled arrows in the accompanying figures. When the ejector 24 is in the retracted position “R”, the ejector 24 allows entry of the material into the bowl 20. When the ejector 24 is in the extended position “E”, the ejector 24 transfers the material outside the bowl 20 through the apron 22.

During a loading process, the apron 22 may be moved to the open position “O”. Simultaneously, the bowl 20 may scrape the ground as the machine 10 moves in a forward direction “F”. As a result, the material may be received into the bowl 20 through the open apron 22. During this process, the ejector 24 may be in the retracted position “R”. As the bowl 20 may reach its full capacity, the apron 22 may be moved to the closed position “C” in order to prevent over filling of the bowl 20 and/or prevent spillage of the material received into the bowl 20.

The material received into the bowl 20 may then be transported to a desired location with the apron 22 in the closed position “C” and the ejector 24 in the retracted position “R”. During an unloading process, the apron 22 may be moved to the open position “O”. As a result, the material may start flowing out of the bowl 20 through the apron 22. Simultaneously, the ejector 24 may be moved to the extended position “E” in order to force the material out of the bowl 20 through the apron 22.

Additionally, the machine 10 may include various components and/or systems (not shown) provided on the frame 12 and/or within the enclosure 14 such as a fuel delivery system, an air supply system, a cooling system, a lubrication system, an electrical/electronic control system, a rectifier, an inverter, batteries, a safety system, a drive control system, a steering system, a brake control system, a turbocharger, an exhaust gas recirculation system, an exhaust aftertreatment system, a regenerative braking system, peripheries, and so on based on application requirements without limiting the scope of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, a schematic representation of a monitoring system 26 for the bowl 20 of the machine 10 is illustrated. The monitoring system 26 includes a perception sensor 28. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the perception sensor 28 is coupled to the frame 12 of the machine 10. The perception sensor 28 is provided in association with the bowl 20 in a manner such that the bowl 20 is located within a field of view 30 of the perception sensor 28. The perception sensor 28 is configured to generate a signal indicative of a view of the bowl 20. More specifically, the perception sensor 28 is configured to generate a signal indicative of a view of the material received within the bowl 20.

The perception sensor 28 may include one or more systems including, but not limited to, a camera system such as a monocular camera, a stereo camera, and so on, a Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR/LADAR) system, a radar system, a Sound Navigation And Ranging (SONAR) system, and a structured light type sensor without any limitation. The perception sensor 28 has the predefined field of view 30 such that the perception sensor 28 generates two dimensional or three dimensional data points for a region of the bowl 20 of the machine 10 falling within the field of view 30 of the perception sensor 28. The field of view 30 of the perception sensor 28 may vary based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, range capability of the perception sensor 28 and mounting location of the perception sensor 28 on the machine 10. The perception sensor 28 is mounted on the machine 10 such that minimum occlusions lie within the field of view 30 of the perception sensor 28, so that the perception sensor 28 may capture an unobstructed or close to unobstructed view of the bowl 20 of the machine 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, the monitoring system 26 also includes a display unit 32. The display unit may be provided within the operator cabin 16. The display unit 32 may be any display unit known in the art such as a CRT monitor, a LED monitor, a LCD monitor, and so on. The display unit 32 is configured to display text, images, video feeds, and so on including, but not limited to, notifications, warnings, tutorials, machine status, and camera feeds to an operator.

The monitoring system 26 further includes a controller 34. The controller 34 is coupled to the perception sensor 28. The controller 34 is configured to receive the signal indicative of the view of the bowl 20 from the perception sensor 28. The controller 34 is configured to display the view of the bowl 20 on the display unit 32. The controller 34 may employ any known data processing algorithm to display the view of the bowl 20 on the display unit 32.

Further, the controller 34 is configured to determine a level of the material within the bowl 20 based on the received signal. More specifically, the controller 34 may determine the level of the material within the bowl 20 based on a height of the material within the bowl 20. The controller 34 may determine the height of the material within the bowl 20 using known data processing algorithms on the signals or data received from the perception sensor 28.

In other embodiments, the controller 34 may determine the level of the material within the bowl 20 based on an estimation of a volume of the material within the bowl 20. More specifically, the volume of the material within the bowl 20 may be correlated to the height of the material within the bowl 20. The correlation may be a dataset stored in a memory (not shown) of the controller 34 or a database (not shown) coupled to the controller 34. The dataset may include various values of the volume of the material within the bowl 20 for different values of the height of the material within the bowl 20. In another embodiment, the correlation may he a mathematical expression between the volume of the material within the bowl 20 and the height of the material within the bowl 20.

In yet another embodiment, the controller 34 may determine the level of the material within the bowl 20 based on a load of the material within the bowl 20. The load of the material within the bowl 20 may be determined based on a signal generated by a pressure sensor (not shown) coupled to a hydraulic/pneumatic cylinder (not shown) associated with the bowl 20. More specifically, the load of the material within the bowl 20 may be correlated to the level of the material within the bowl 20. The correlation may be a dataset stored in the memory of the controller 34 or the database coupled to the controller 34. The dataset may include various values of the level of the material within the bowl 20 for different values of the load of the material within the bowl 20. In another embodiment, the correlation may be a mathematical expression between the level of the material within the bowl 20 and the load of the material within the bowl 20.

The controller 34 is also configured to determine a current loading status of the bowl 20 based on the determined level of the material. More specifically, as the material is received into the bowl 20 or is transferred out of the bowl 20, the height of the material within the bowl 20 may change. Different heights of the material within the bowl 20 may be indicative of distinct loading statuses of the bowl 20 during the loading process. The current loading status may be determined as a percentage of a capacity of the bowl 20 that is currently filled with the material.

For example, when the bowl 20 may be empty, the controller 34 may determine zero or close to negligible height of the material and, as such, an absence of the material within the bowl 20. Accordingly, the controller 34 may determine the current loading status of the howl 20 as 0% or “EMPTY”. As the material may be received into the bowl 20, the controller 34 may determine an increase in the height of the material within the bowl 20 and in turn an increase in the level of the material within the howl 20. Accordingly, the controller 34 may determine the current loading status of the bowl 20 as 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% or “HALF”, “FULL”, and so on based on the increasing level of the material within the bowl 20.

Similarly, as the material may be transferred out of the bowl 20, the controller 34 may determine the current loading status of the bowl 20 from 100% to 0% or “FULL” to “EMPTY” based on the decreasing level of the material within the bowl 20. In some embodiments, the current loading status may include a rate of loading/unloading of the material from the bowl 20. The controller 34 may determine the rate of loading/unloading of the material from the bowl 20 based on the changing level of the material within the howl 20 with respect to time. It should be noted that the values of the current loading status of the bowl 20 described herein are merely exemplary. In other embodiments, the values of the current loading status of the bowl 20 may vary between 0% and 100% based on the level of the material within the bowl 20 and with any number of increments between successive values of the current loading, statuses.

The controller 34 may determine the current loading status of the bowl 20 based on a correlation. In one embodiment, the correlation may be a dataset stored in the memory of the controller 34 or the database coupled to the controller 34. The dataset may include various values of the current loading status for different values of the level of the material within the bowl 20. In another embodiment, the correlation may be a mathematical expression between the current loading status and the level of the material within the bowl 20.

The controller 34 is further configured to provide an indication of the current loading status to the operator. In one embodiment, the indication may be a visual indication provided on the display unit 32. The visual indication may be a text notification/warning of the current loading status provided on the display unit 32. In another embodiment, the visual indication may include activation of a lamp/LED provided within the operator cabin 16. In yet another embodiment, the indication may be an audible indication provided via an audio unit 36. The audio unit 36 may be provided within the operator cabin 16. The audio unit 36 may be coupled to the controller 34. The audio unit 36 may be any audio unit known in the art such as, a speaker. The audible indication may be a pre-recorded message, a warning beep, and so on of the current loading status.

Further, the controller 34 is also configured to transmit the current loading status to a machine control unit (MCU) 38 or electronic control module associated with the machine 10, Accordingly, the MCU 38 may utilize the current loading status to accurately determine different stages of the loading/unloading process in an automated work cycle. In another embodiment, the controller 34 may utilize the current loading status to determine various machine performance metrics, such as, machine productivity, machine efficiency, fuel efficiency, work cycle efficiency, operator efficiency, and an on without any limitations.

The controller 34 may he an electronic controller that operates in a logical fashion to perform operations, execute control algorithms, store and retrieve data and other desired operations. The controller 34 may include or access memory, secondary storage devices, processors, and any other components for running an application. The memory and secondary storage devices may be in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or random access memory (RAM) or integrated circuitry that is accessible by the controller 34. Various other circuits may be associated with the controller 34 such as power supply circuitry, signal conditioning circuitry, driver circuitry, and other types of circuitry. The controller 34 may be a single controller or may include more than one controller disposed to control various functions and/or features of the machine 10. The term “controller” is meant to be used in its broadest sense to include one or more controllers and/or microprocessors that may be associated with the machine 10 and that may cooperate in controlling various functions and operations of the machine 10. The functionality of the controller 34 may be implemented in hardware and/or software without regard to the functionality.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present disclosure relates to the monitoring system 26 for the bowl 20 of the machine 10. Referring to FIG. 4, a method 40 of working of the monitoring system 26 for the bowl 20 of the machine 10 is illustrated. At step 42, the controller 34 receives the signal indicative of the view of the bowl 20 from the perception sensor 28. At step 44, the controller 34 determines the level of the material within the bowl 20 based on the received signal and any known data processing method, At step 46, the controller 34 determines the current loading status of the bowl 20 based on the determined level of the material. At step 48, the controller 34 provides the indication of the current loading status to the operator. The indication may be the visual indication and/or the audible indication provided on the display unit 32 and/or the audio unit 36 respectively.

The perception sensor 28 is mounted on the frame 12 of the machine 10 such that the perception sensor 28 may not contact the material and/or other moving parts of the machine 10. As a result, damage to the perception sensor 28 may be prevented in turn reducing replacement cost thereof. The perception sensor 28 and the display unit 32 provide areal time and non-occluded view of the bowl 20 thus improving visibility of the bowl 20 to the operator. Further, the controller 34 provides the current loading status of the bowl 20 to the operator. As a result, the monitoring system 26 provides real time monitoring of the bowl 20 and the loading/unloading process for accurate control thereof.

The monitoring system 26 provides real time feed of the bowl 20 through the display unit 32 to the operator inside the operator cabin 16. As a result, operational efficiency may be significantly improved due to ease of continuous and real time monitoring of the bowl 20. Also, due to real time indication of the current loading status of the bowl 20 provided to the operator, machine productivity, machine efficiency, fuel efficiency, and so on may be significantly improved by reducing early termination and/or late termination of the loading of the bowl 20. Additionally, the monitoring system 26 may also reduce training duration and/or effort for novice operators by providing enhanced visibility of the bowl 20 and the current loading status within the operator cabin 16 on the display unit 32.

While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A monitoring system for a machine, the machine having a bowl, the monitoring system comprising: a perception sensor provided in association with the bowl of the machine, the perception sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a view of the bowl; and. controller coupled to the perception sensor, the controller configured to: receive the signal indicative of the view of the bowl from the perception sensor; determine a level of material within the bowl based on the received signal; determine a current loading status of the bowl based on the determined level of material; and provide an indication of the current loading status.
 2. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the indication of the current loading status is a visual indication provided on a display unit.
 3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the indication of the current loading status is an audible indication provided via an audio unit.
 4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: transmit the current loading status to a machine control unit associated with the machine.
 5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: display the view of the bowl on a display unit. 